Think back to school chemistry classes and most people will recall lots of Bunsen burners, white lab coats and probably some test-tube experiments. But what are classes like for those teaching them? We spoke to teachers across the UK to find out what drew them to the subject and the classroom – and what makes them stay.
‘It’s a very transferable skill’ – David Paterson, Hertfordshire
I had a traditional route into teaching chemistry and always enjoyed the sciences and maths. Chemistry, as a subject, is live and active – there’s always new chemistry out there. In terms of teaching, it’s a job where you never really rest – there’s always an explanation or a practical lesson to improve upon. You’re also helping individuals and the next generation to contribute to society. On top of that, there are benefits such as being able to be at home for the school holidays, which is lovely. And there are lots of conferences where you can speak to other teachers. Plus, there’s a huge demand for science teachers at the moment. Once you’re a qualified teacher, it’s a very transferable skill.
‘I was lucky to get the RSC scholarship’ – Safaa Qureshi, Brentford
I always thought the classroom would be the best place for me; I thought I’d be a good teacher because I did tutoring for a while and I have lots of little cousins, so I’m familiar with kids. I love that chemistry isn’t a static subject – you’re moving around and doing experiments. It also appeals to me because you can show children that things they learn in the lab relate to their everyday experiences. For example, once you’ve cooked a raw ingredient such as pasta you can’t change it back; so that’s an irreversible reaction.
I saw the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) scholarship online and thought I’d go for it. I was lucky to get it and it’s been absolutely fantastic. They sent me a whole package with books, worksheets and posters, and I’ve been using them in my lessons. You get a tutor as well. It’s been a big help. It’s also helped me to make links and friendships with people doing the same thing as me. If you’re thinking about applying, I’d say 100% go for it. The worst that can happen is you don’t get it but, if you do, it’ll make your life much easier.
‘There’s never a quiet day in teaching’ – Niki Kaiser, Norwich
I always thought I’d be a musician, but I studied chemistry at A-level because it sounded interesting. It turns out, a lot of scientists are also musicians; I think it’s partly because they both have a performance aspect to them.
Chemistry can be awe-inspiring. There are often beautiful colours and there’s that immediate wow factor. For example, next week I’m going to teach the effect of surface area on the rate of reaction. To do this, I sprinkle sugar into a flame, which results in a huge flame that reaches up to the ceiling – it’s beautiful to watch. There’s another demonstration you can do where you have different coloured flames along the bench. So you have red and green and lilac flames flickering away at the front. My year 11s say it’s amazing and they could watch it for hours. I also quite often bring out copper sulphate crystals in class just because I like the colour – they’re a beautiful blue.
There’s never a quiet day in teaching. You’re shaping people’s lives and you still get to be a chemist and work in a lab every day. Every day you know you have an impact. Plus, it’s pretty well paid, has good holidays, and you can choose where you work. That’s a huge benefit. You also have brilliant colleagues. But the main draw is working with children.
‘My son is studying chemistry’ – Adrian Rowley, Greater London
I’ve always wanted to work with chemistry. I became a chemistry teacher because I didn’t want to stop doing the subject. I love it because it’s about finding out. It’s about trying things out, proving things, disproving things – it’s about inquisitiveness more than anything. My son is currently studying chemistry at university. But he made his own decision – I didn’t put any pressure on him. I’m very proud of him, though, and I think he’s doing a lot better than I did when I was at university. There used to be the scientist geek stereotype, but in the past 10 years that’s disappearing – [now science] is almost trendy.
‘Chemistry helps us understand the world around us’ – Aftab Gujral, north-west England
I’ve always been interested in science, and chemistry is important because it helps us understand the world around us. When I was in the classroom I always enjoyed doing practicals. The demonstrations I enjoyed the most involved fire or explosions. You can see the amazement in the children’s eyes, especially if the experiments go well. But even if they don’t go well, the kids are entertained. In some ways, they enjoy it even more.
The Royal Society of Chemistry, in partnership with the Department of Education, is running a scholarship scheme this year to support up to 130 aspiring chemistry teachers. Open to individuals entering chemistry teacher training in England in the 2019/20 academic year, benefits include £28,000 tax-free funding, free classroom materials, mentoring, free online courses and meetups with other chemists. Plus, scholars get free membership to the Royal Society of Chemistry. There is a rolling application process, however 28 July 2019 is the final date for applications for the next academic year. To apply, visit rsc.org/awards-funding/funding/teacher-training-scholarships
